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Trust Your Gut: Go Beyond Number Crunching and Use Intuition Instead When it comes to making decisions, intuition can be a powerful tool. Your intuition can help you to see beyond the facts and figures to help you make choices based on your deepest values and desires.

By Gurpreet Kaur

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

We all have intuition, but few know how to use it effectively. Intuition is your ability to understand something without thinking about it logically. It's a knowing that comes from the heart rather than the head.

Unfortunately, many ignore their intuition in favor of more rational thinking. You may not even be aware that you have this inner guidance system. But when you learn to trust your intuition, you can tap into a powerful source of wisdom and insight.

Intuition can be a valuable tool in your decision-making process. By learning to trust and follow it, you can access a deeper level of wisdom and insight. It's essential to listen to your intuition, but not necessarily all of the time. Intuition should be used as a supplement to logic and reason, not as a replacement. There will be times when intuition conflicts with rational thought; in these cases, it's essential to use your discernment to determine which is more accurate.

Related: Is There Room for Intuition in Business?

How can intuition help you with decision-making?

When you trust your intuition, you're more likely to take risks and follow your dreams. Intuition can help you:

  • See beyond the facts and figures to make choices based on our deepest values and desires.
  • Make better decisions by providing information that logic and reasoning may not be able to access.
  • Trust your gut feelings even when it goes against what you think you should do.
  • Connect with your higher self and receive guidance from the beyond
  • Tap into your creative side and develop new ideas.
  • Sense things that have not yet materialized. Things might make sense today, but intuition gives you the window to see if an opportunity is right for you in the long run.

Related: The Scientific Reason You Should Trust Your Gut

How to sharpen your intuition

Although we all have access to intuition, not all of us can access it readily. Therefore, you must regularly sharpen your intuition to know how to access it when you need it. Here are some of the things you can start practicing to sharpen your intuition:

  • Spend time in nature: Connecting with nature can help you to clear your mind and connect with your intuition.
  • Spend time in silence and allow yourself to be.
  • Listen to your body: Our bodies can be powerful guides. If you feel called to do something but are unsure why... trust your gut and go for it.
  • Follow your heart: When you're in touch with your heart, you're more likely to have intuition. So follow your heart and let it lead you to your truth.
  • Pay attention to your dreams: Dreams can be a powerful source of intuition. So keep a dream journal and pay attention to any messages that come through.
  • Trust your intuition: This is the most crucial step. Once you've connected with your intuition, it's important to trust what it's telling you. Go with your gut, and don't second-guess yourself.
  • Tapping into intuition requires stilling the mind — spending time in nature, meditating, praying, or journaling can create space for intuition to flow.

When you're tuned to your intuition, you may notice synchronicities and "gut feelings." Many people express their encounter with intuition as "I just got lucky" or "I was at the right place at the right time." These are all signs that your intuition is trying to communicate with you.

How to use intuition in decision-making

When making a decision, using intuition as a guide can be helpful. Here are some tips for using intuition in decision-making:

  1. Get clear on what you want. The first step is to get clear on what you want. What is your goal? What are your values? When you know what you want, it's easier to trust your intuition.
  2. Listen to your heart. Follow your heart, and intuition will lead you to your truth.
  3. Go with your gut. Our gut feelings are often based on intuition. So if you have a strong sense about something, it's worth listening to.
  4. Take Risks. Intuition lives in the unknown, not the known. This is why it can be a potent tool in addition to your logic and analytical brain. Intuition nudges you towards growth so you can reach your highest potential. And that means you will have to do things you are not usually accustomed to.
  5. Follow your dreams. Dreams can be a powerful source of intuition. If you're struggling to make a decision, pay attention to your dreams and see if they offer any guidance.
  6. Be open to guidance. Intuition often comes in the form of guidance from others. So if you're seeking advice, be open to what people tell you.
  7. Trust yourself. The most crucial step is to trust yourself. You are intimately connected to your intuition. Your intuition is not outside of you. It is a part of you. It would help if you learned to trust yourself, which means you can't engage in negative self-talk, constantly criticize yourself, or have self-doubt. You must learn to love yourself to start accessing this powerful tool in decision-making that can make or break your life or business.

Intuition is a powerful tool that can help us to make better decisions. By getting clear on what we want and listening to our intuition, we can tap into a deeper level of wisdom and guidance. Follow these tips to start using intuition in your decision-making process.

Related: 7 Tips for Making Quality Business Decisions

Gurpreet Kaur

Licensed Professional Counselor, Life Coach, Speaker, and Author

Dr. Gurpreet Kaur is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Life Coach, Speaker, and an Author. Dr. Kaur is very passionate about self-love, self-empowerment, wellness, reaching the full potential, and quantum mechanics principles application in life.

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